1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, and more particularly to an image processing device in which image processing is executed for image data read from a film image or the like, and image data inputted from external devices such as a personal computer (PC) and the like, and executed for which outputs the results of the image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image processing devices are known where a film image recorded on a photographic film is read by an image reading device having a reading sensor such as a CCD (charge coupled device). Image processing including expansion and/or compression, and various types of correction are effected on the basis of the image data provided by reading a film image or the like. Additionally, image data inputted from external devices such as a personal computer, for example, is recorded on recording materials or displayed on a display screen.
An image processor is mounted on such a conventional image processing device as hard ware (an image processing board) which is used exclusively for carrying out the predetermined image processing described above. By this image processor, image processing has been effected at a high processing rate on the basis of image data which is read by a scanner, for example, or image data inputted from the external PC.
However, when the above-described image processor (made of hardware) is used for a long period of time, the components comprising the processor can deteriorate. Accordingly, sooner or later, the image processor may fail.
Because the image processor is not an expendable product but an expensive member, when it is out of order, it often takes time to supply and replace another image processor for the broken image processor. For this reason, when the image processor is broken, the image processing device cannot be used for a long period of time.
Therefore, one method is to replace the broken image processor with other image processors through other image processors through installing a plurality of image processors in the image processing device. However, with this method, as described above, because image processors are expensive, a problem arises in that manufacturing costs for the image processing device become extremely high.
For this reason, what is needed is, an alternative means which can replace an out of order image processor so as to continue uninterrupted image processing.
Further, image processing using the conventional image processing device as described above is effected with higher processing rate for a large amount of image data. Indeed, various types of image processing devices having a plurality of frame memories for storing image data are provided, and three processes including reading of image data, image processing, and outputting of image data are effected concurrently by using the plurality of provided frame memories.
However, a technical problem may arise in that, although image processing can be effected with a high processing rate, when one of a plurality of the memories is out of order, the aforementioned three processes cannot be concurrently processed such that image processing is thereby interrupted.
In order to solve the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which image processing can be continued even when an image processor is out of order. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing device in which image processing can be continued even when one of a plurality of memories is out of order.
In order to accomplish the first object, a first aspect of the present invention is an image processing device comprising: an image processor which executes a predetermined image processing for image data; executing means for executing, by software, the same image processing as the image processing executed by the image processor; judging means for judging whether the image processing executed by the image processor is normal; and switching control means for, when image processing executed by the image processor is judged to be abnormal by the judging means, switching to the executing means so that the executing means executes, by software, the same image processing as the image processing executed by the image processor.
A second aspect of the present invention is an image processing device according to the first aspect, wherein the judging means judges whether the image processing executed by the image processor is normal by comparing an outputted image obtained by the image processor executing the image processing and an outputted image obtained by the image processor executing normal image processing.
In the image processing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, a predetermined image processing is executed on the basis of image data (for example, image data obtained by reading the image by a scanner or the like or image data inputted from external devices). Because an image processor is manufactured exclusively for a predetermined image processing, the image processing using the image processor can be effected at a high processing rate.
Further, the image processing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprises: executing means in which the same image processing which has been effected by the image processor is effected through a software (namely, image processing is emulated); and judging means which judges whether the image processing through the image processor is normal.
The judging means judges whether the image processing using the current image processor is normal. In the same manner as the second aspect of the present invention, the judging means executes an image processing using the image processor on the basis of the original image data, and compares an outputted image obtained by the image processor executing image processing and an outputted image obtained by the image processor executing normal image processing. When they correspond to each other, the judging means judges that the image processing by the image processor is normal. When they do not correspond to each other, the judging means judges that the image processing by the current image processor is abnormal.
Moreover, it is desired that the above-described judging using the judging means is effected periodically (for example, at the start-up time every morning) and/or immediately (i.e. when the operator instructs the image processing device to implement this judging means).
When the image processing executed by the image processor is judged to be abnormal by the judging means, switching control means switches to the executing means so that the executing means executes, through software, the same image processing as the image processing executed by the current image processor. However, in this case, because image processing is merely emulated by the executing means, the processing rate of image processing using software is lower than the processing rate at which the image processing is executed by the image processor is used exclusively for image processing.
As described above, when the image processor is out of order, the switching control means switches to the executing means so that the executing means executes, by software, the same image processing as the image processing executed by the image processor, image processing can be continued without being disabled (interrupted) until another image processor is prepared.
In order to accomplish the second object of the present invention, a third aspect of the present invention is an image processing device, comprising: a plurality of memories; judging means which judges whether each of the memories is normal; and processing executing means for, in a case in which the judging means judges all of the memories to be normal, executing image processing by using all of the memories, and in a case in which the judging means judges at least one of the memories to be abnormal, executing processing by using the memory judged to be normal.
The image processing device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, comprises three memories; judging means which judges whether each of the memories is normal; and control means for executing processing when all of the three memories is judged to be normal by the judging means, the three memories are used to concurrently and repeatedly execute three processes which are a reading process for reading image data, image processing for the read image data, and an outputting process for outputting image data for which image processing has been completed, and when one of the three memories is judged to be abnormal by the judging means, two memories which are judged to be normal are used to repeatedly execute the three processes while executing two out of the three processes concurrently.
The image processing device according to the third aspect of the present invention comprises: judging means which judges whether each of the memories is normal. When all of the memories are judged to be normal by the judging means, all of the memories are used to effect image processing by the processing means.
Meanwhile, when at least one of the memories is out of order and it is judged to be abnormal by the judging means, the processing executing means implements further image processing without being interrupted by using the memories which are judged to be normal. For example, if the image processing device has three memories or more, when one of the memories has already been out of order, while another one is newly out of order, the control means implements further image processing by using the one remaining memory alone and without the aforementioned memories which are judged to be abnormal.
Accordingly, even when one or more of a plurality of memories is out of order, the current image processing can be continued without being interrupted.
In the image processing device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when all three memories are normal, the control means effects three processes by using all three memories. The three processes include the image reading process for reading image data, the image processing for the image data read, and the outputting process for outputting image data for which image processing has been completed. In this way, when all of the three memories are used for image processing, the processing rate is three times higher than when one memory is used.
When one of the three memories is out of order, it is judged to be abnormal by the judging means. In the control means, two memories which are judged to be normal are used to effect two processes out of the three processes concurrently, while the three processes are being implemented repeatedly.
Even when one of the memories is out of order, image processing can be continued without being disabled. In this case, although processing efficiency may drop, image processing can be effected with twice the efficiency of just one memory.
It is preferred that the above-described judging by the judging means is executed periodically, and at the moment when the operator instructs the image processing device to execute the judgment.
Methods in which memory failure and processable image sizes are reported to the operator or the service man can be effected by displaying messages or image size information on a computer screen, by a spoken message from a speaker or the like, or by writing in a printing paper a message or image size information. Further, it is very effective to send a message about memory failure by e-mail to a service man.